Apparatus for spraying a slurry

ABSTRACT

A spraying apparatus is provided which may, for example, be carried by a truck, and which is used for spraying mulch, fertilizer or seed, or any combination thereof, on planting sites. The spraying mechanism of the invention has auxiliary fresh water tanks mounted on either side of a main mixing tank, the auxiliary tanks being filled with fresh water when the main mixing tank is filled. The mechanism of the invention also includes coupling pipelines and valves which permit fresh water in the auxiliary tanks to be used, when needed, to flush out the hoses and nozzles of the mechanism when a particular job is terminated.

United States atent [191 Hatton [4 1 Feb. 20 1973 I 9 [54] APPARATUS FORSPRAYING A 2,500,816 3/1950 Gird ..222/136 x SLURRY 3,212,518 10/1965Padek ..222/l48 x 3,463,172 8/1969 Naylor ..l34/l69 R lnvsmorl 2}; Balm,North Hollywood, 3,580,420 5/1971 Kennedy etal ..222/14s x 211 PrimaExaminer-Richard A. Schacher t c u N m 11 1- [73] Asslgnee ,333: 553 onor o Attorney-Jack C. Munro [22] Filed: June 28, 1971 57 B R T [21]Appl. No.: 157,277 A spraying apparatus is provided which may, forexample, be carried by a truck, and which is used for [52]} U S Cl222/136 134/169 C 222/148 spraying mulch, fertilizer or seed, or anycombination 239/662 thereof, on planting sites. The spraying mechanismof [51] Int Cl B67d 5/34 the invention has auxiliary fresh water tanksmounted [58] Fie'ld I148 136, on either side of a main mixing tank, theauxiliary 166 169 i 69 5 tanks being filled with fresh water when themain mixing tank is filled. The mechanism of the invention also includescoupling pipelines and valves which permit [56] References Cited freshwater in the auxiliary tanks to be used, when UNITED STATES PATENTSneeded, to flush out the hoses and nozzles 0f the 2 645 524 7/1953 K222/148 X mechanism when a particular jobis terminated.

e y 3,586,245 6/1971 Carlyon ..239/662 4 Claims, 3 Drawing FiguresOmar/70w 0 1/116 4 Z0 (da/erlzr/e/ Z2 "26 124 M 26 a 7 ll 12 F I/Ji'fame L42 .f/ur/v //are 52 awe/ i APPARATUS FOR SPRAYING A SLURRYBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is usual in the present state of the art,in the fertilizing, mulching and/or seeding of large planting areas,including the slopes adjacent public highways, to use trucks withappropriate mechanisms supported thereon. The mechanisms of the priorart usually include a large tank having mixing paddles, or the like,therein, and which is filled with water, mulch, fertilizer and seed, theingredients being mixed in the tank into a slurry.

The prior art mechanism also usually includes a pump which serves topump the resulting slurry out of the mixing tank, and at relatively highpressure and velocity into the hose of a spraying nozzle. Then, as thetruck is driven around or past the planting area, an

operator on the back of the truck directs the slurry at BRIEFDESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of theapparatus of the invention mounted on a truck;

FIG. 2 is a perspective representation of the mixing and auxiliary tankssupported on the truck in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the various components of themechanism of the invention, and the manner in which they are coupled toone another.

7 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED.

EMBODIMENT As shown in FIG. 1, the mechanism of the invention may bemounted on a truck 10. The mechanism includes a tank structure 12mounted on the back of the truck. The tank structure, as shown in FIG.2, includes a central mixing tank 12a, and a pair of auxiliary tanks 12band 120. The main mixing tank has a generally rectangular configuration,with a rounded bottom, and the auxiliary tanks 12b and 12c are mountedat the op posite sides of the main tank. The ingredients such as seed,fertilizer, mulch, or the like, are introduced into the main mixing tank120 through an inlet feed chamber 14 mounted on the top of the tank.

The tanks of the mechanism of FIG. 1 are filled with water, derived, forexample, from a hydrant, or other pressurized source, through thepipeline system shown schematically in FIG. 3. For example, a hosecoupled to the hydrant may be coupled to an inlet line which, forexample, may have a diameter of three inches, and which is split, forexample, into three two inch pipes 22, 24 and 26 to feed the water intothe mixing tank 12a. One of the two inch pipes 26, for example, has abranch 26a which extends into the flushing tank 12b to fill the flushingtanks 12a and 12b with water. The flushing tanks are intercoupled, forexample, by an internal pipeline 28. In order to avoid any chance of theflushing tanks being damaged, appropriate overflow lines 30 are providedbetween the flushing tanks and the mixing tank. As best shown in FIG. 2,the overflow lines 30 may also serve as a hand rail at the back of themechanism.

The mechanism includes a pump 32 which is coupled selectively, either tothe mixing tank 12a, or to the flushing tanks 12b and by a valve 34 andpipelines 36 and 38 on one hand, and by a valve 40 and pipeline 42 onthe other hand. It will be appreciated that when the valve 34 is closedand valve 40 is open, the pump will pump slurry from the mixing tank12a. On the other hand, when the valve 40 is closed and the valve 34 isopen, the pump will pump from the flushing tanks 12b and 12c. The outletof the pump 32 is coupled throughan appropriate hose 50 to a usualslurry spray nozzle 52, the flow of slurry to the nozzle beingcontrolled by a valve 54 adjacent the nozzle.

When a usual spraying operation is to be carried out, the valve 40 isopened, and the valve 34 is closed. The mixing tank 12a is filled withwater, and appropriate ingredients are introduced into the mixing tankthrough the feed inlet 14. The mixing tank is filled with water, and atthe same time the flushing tanks 12b and 12c are also filled with water.The mixing mechanism in the mixing tank is then activated, so that theingredients may be mixed into a slurry. The pump 32 is then activated.In usual prior art mechanisms, the pump 32 serves to circulate theslurry from the mixing tank and back into the mixing tank, and the hose50 is coupled to the circulating line, so that a portion of the slurryis forced through the spray nozzle 52 when the valve 54 is opened. Inthis way, the valve 54 may be closed at will, and the slurry then merelycirculates through the system.

In the mechanism of the present invention, at the termination of anyparticular job, the valve '34 is opened and the valve 40 is closed, sothat flushing water is drawn by the pump 32 from the flushing tanks 12band 120, and is used to flush out the hoses 50 and spray nozzles 52.This greatly facilitates the operation of the mechanism, and provides asimple and expeditious means for maintaining the hoses and spray nozzlesfree of slurry, which, when dry, has a tendency to clog thesecomponents.

It will be appreciated that although a particular embodiment of theinvention has been shown and described, modifications may be made. It isintended to cover all such modifications in the following claims whichcome within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is: l. A mechanism for spraying a slurry comprising: amain mixing tank containing the slurry; an auxiliary tank assemblyproviding a reservoir for flushing water, said tank assembly beingconnected to said main tank; a pump having an inlet and an outlet;conduit means connecting said pump intake to both said main tank andsaid tank assembly; valve means included within said conduit means andactuatable to couple the pump selectively to said mixing tank or to saidauxiliary tank assembly;

3 4 a nozzle assembly and associated hose coupled to said conduit meanscomprises a first conduit consaid outlet of said pump, whereby saidvalve means nected between said pump and said main mixing is capable ofproducing conduction of slurry from tank and a second conduit connectedbetween said said main mixing tank to said nozzle means, said auxiliarytank assembly and said pump, said valve valve means also capable ofcausing condu ti of 5 means includes two separate valves, one of saidwater from said auxiliary tank a bl t aid valves included within saidfirst conduit and the nozzle to clean residual a t f l r f other of saidvalves included within the secon within said nozzle and said associatedhose; and conduit said auxiliary tank assembly including a pair ofmechflnlsm 88 fi f In 6181!!! 2 e ein:

spaced apart separate auxiliary tanks, said auxiliaan lme ammblylsfifmnefited Fl Said ry tanks being interconnected together through anauxlllary tanks and f l mixing tank interconnecting conduit, inlet meansto conduct whefeby Pvel'fillmg f f y autowater into one of saidauxiliary tanks which in turn matlcauy cfmducted F P mixing tankfillsthe other of said auxiliary tanks through said w l f as defined clam} 3wherem: interconnecting conduit, said auxiliary tanks being 15 said mammlxmg P substamlaulf rectangular closed to the ambient except throughsaid inlet s s q f lf l bemg mounted conduit on opposite sides of saidmain mixing tank. 2. The mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein:

1. A mechanism for spraying a slurry comprising: a main mixing tankcontaining the slurry; an auxiliary tank assembly providing a reservoirfor flushing water, said tank assembly being connected to said maintank; a pump having an inlet and an outlet; conduit means connectingsaid pump intake to both said main tank and said tank assembly; valvemeans included within said conduit means and actuatable to couple thepump selectively to said mixing tank or to said auxiliary tank assembly;a nozzle assembly and associated hose coupled to said outlet of saidpump, whereby said valve means is capable of producing conduction ofslurry from said main mixing tank to said nozzle means, said valve meansalso capable of causing conduction of water from said auxiliary tankassembly to said nozzle to clean residual amounts of slurry from withinsaid nozzle and said associated hose; and said auxiliary tank assemblyincluding a pair of spaced apart separate auxiliary tanks, saidauxiliary tanks being interconnected together through an interconnectingconduit, inlet means to conduct water into one of said auxiliary tankswhich in turn fills the other of said auxiliary tanks through saidinterconnecting conduit, said auxiliary tanks being closed to theambient except through said inlet conduit.
 1. A mechanism for spraying aslurry comprising: a main mixing tank containing the slurry; anauxiliary tank assembly providing a reservoir for flushing water, saidtank assembly being connected to said main tank; a pump having an inletand an outlet; conduit means connecting said pump intake to both saidmain tank and said tank assembly; valve means included within saidconduit means and actuatable to couple the pump selectively to saidmixing tank or to said auxiliary tank assembly; a nozzle assembly andassociated hose coupled to said outlet of said pump, whereby said valvemeans is capable of producing conduction of slurry from said main mixingtank to said nozzle means, said valve means also capable of causingconduction of water from said auxiliary tank assembly to said nozzle toclean residual amounts of slurry from within said nozzle and saidassociated hose; and said auxiliary tank assembly including a pair ofspaced apart separate auxiliary tanks, said auxiliary tanks beinginterconnected together through an interconnecting conduit, inlet meansto conduct water into one of said auxiliary tanks which in turn fillsthe other of said auxiliary tanks through said interconnecting conduit,said auxiliary tanks being closed to the ambient except through saidinlet conduit.
 2. The mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein: saidconduit means comprises a first conduit connected between said pump andsaid main mixing tank and a second conduit connected between saidauxiliary tank assembly and said pump, said valve means includes twoseparate valves, one of said valves included within said first conduitand the other of said valves included within the second conduit.
 3. Themechanism as defined in claim 2 wherein: an overflow line assembly isconnected between said auxiliary tanks and said main mixing tank,whereby overfilling of said auxiliary tanks automatically is conductedinto said main mixing tank.